


Falling for You

by wafflesandpancakes



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Anal Sex, Developing Relationship, Forbidden Love, Kinda, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Secret Relationship, Violence, i mean max punches michael and michael punches carlos, i really don't know how to tag anymore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:07:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28216698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesandpancakes/pseuds/wafflesandpancakes
Summary: Michael has promised Daniel to keep Lando safe. Falling in love doesn't fall into the "keeping Lando safe" category. Drama ensues.orI started writing this on the 31st of July, how the fuck did it take me so long?
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr (past), Lewis Hamilton/George Russell (mentioned), Michael Italiano/Lando Norris, Nico Hulkenberg/Kevin Magnussen
Comments: 8
Kudos: 138





	Falling for You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [simplyverstappen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplyverstappen/gifts).



> OI OI OIIIII I'M BAAAACK
> 
> to be honest, it was very needed to finish this fic because MONE DIDN'T STOP BOTHERING ME (which. i get. you wanted this fic, this is your fic, so. i get it). I finally took time into my hands and finished it! Here ya go.
> 
> I SHOULD MENTION that this fits right into Mone's A/B/O universe, so that's why I didn't go into detail about Lando's past with Carlos. Sorry not sorry.

The 2021 season has been something he has been excited about for a long time. A new workplace, a chance for Dan to win a few races again, a healthier environment - In the end, it can only be better than Renault, right? And just from the visits at the HQ, the testing in Barcelona, and the general work with the team, he can see that it’s better than before, that Dan is happier. Especially since he is now able to keep an eye on Lando at all times, not really wanting to let the youngest pack member alone after what has happened with Carlos. What Michael hasn’t expected though was to see Lando on Dan’s side of the garage, clearly annoying him between FP1 and FP2, trying to get under his skin. And what really comes as a surprise is to see Lando  _ flirting _ with his best friend’s mate, his hand regularly finding its way onto Dan’s thigh before it’s pushed down again. He’s happy that Lando’s this comfortable around the alpha, especially after everything that has happened, that he’s okay with touching him and joking around.

“Lando, let it be.” Andreas comes up behind them, shaking his head with a smile on his lips. “Go annoy Michael if you need to get it out of your system, Dan needs to work.”

Michael actually looks a bit offended, but he can’t say anything against it because Lando nearly runs over to him, only to stop a few steps away from him, a bit nervous and clearly not as carefree as he was with Dan before. Instead, he nibbles on his lower lip and isn’t really sure if he’s allowed to look at Michael. The alpha sighs and extends one hand as if Lando is a scared animal whose trust he needs to earn. The omega lets out a shaky breath but comes closer, slowly taking Michael’s hand into his, letting the scent wash over him. Michael is part of Dan’s pack too, but out of respect for Lando, he has decided to take a step back, letting him get used to Dan. If he needs pack cuddles, he can still do that with Dan and Max, he doesn’t need all of them to calm down.

“You okay, pup?”

The omega nods and smiles tentatively, coming closer just to hug him tight. Michael’s heart swells at that, and he holds him close, one of his hands gently stroking up and down his back but never too far down. He sees Dan grin in the corner of his eye but he decides to ignore it, not letting go of Lando until one of his engineers calls him over to look at some data. Michael follows him with his eyes before he walks back to Dan, excitement still written all over his face.

Michael knows that Lando doesn’t like other alphas than Dan and him (and Andreas and Zac, but they’re work family and treat him as if he's their son), but he knows that he’s somewhat okay being around Nico Hülkenberg since Max is fairly close with him. So it’s no surprise to him to see them stand together in the paddock one day, but what makes him stop is the slightly pissed expression on the alpha’s face, clearly not in the mood for Lando’s cheeky personality, and the situation explodes when Kevin comes over, fuzzing over the omega while probably not-so-deliberately ignoring the alpha. Michael watches how Nico growls and pulls Kevin away from Lando, getting between the man he wants to call  _ his _ beta (Nico really isn’t good at keeping his emotions hidden) and the way younger omega, towering over him. It’s not hard to smell the distress coming from Lando, and Michael is at his side in a matter of seconds, his arm slung around his waist. Nico has a height advantage over him, but Michael has promised Dan to keep Lando safe no matter what, even if it means fighting an alpha who’s basically towering over him.

“Back off, Nico.”

Nico seems to think about saying something, but a not-so-gentle tuck on his arm from Kevin stops him, the Dane looking not amused.

“I would listen to him. And we need to talk.”

He gives Lando an apologizing glance before pulling Nico along, the alpha still looking pissed but the guilt is creeping onto his face too. Michael turns to Lando and gently lifts his head by his chin.

“Hey… I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that.”

The Brit nodded, the sour scent of distress slowly disappearing, leaving his sweet omega scent to surround Michael.

“Y-Yeah… He… probably doesn’t know about the whole… thing…”

They walk back to the garage together, the Aussie keeping an arm around him the whole time. Lando’s right, Nico wasn’t on the grid during the last season, he probably doesn’t know about what Carlos did, why Lando is so sensitive. He doesn’t blame anyone for it, everyone on the grid had gotten used to basically ignoring Carlos throughout the past season, and they hadn’t known about what he did back in Silverstone where Nico had replaced Checo. Still, he feels bad for Lando, but he knows that Kevin will fill Nico in eventually. Hopefully.

Dan looks up when they enter the garage, and Michael knows that he senses that something is wrong. It’s Dan, Dan has always had a feeling for other people’s misery, especially if they were from his pack. He comes over immediately, and Lando melts into his hug, sighing shakily.

“What happened?”

“Nico’s pissed and growled at him. Didn’t touch him though, Lando’s just a bit… shaken.”

Dan carefully pushes his fingers through Lando’s curls, the omega relaxing even more.

“Thank you, though.” Dan worries his lower lip and looks up, his eyes meeting Michael’s. “Do you want to come to the pack night tonight…?”

“Uh… sure! If you think it’s time…?”

“It’s about time, mate. The others missed you.”

Michael smiles, a faint blush on his cheeks.

“I’ve missed them too.”

To say he has missed pack nights is actually an understatement - he has yearned for them, and knowing that the rest of the pack will join them in Dan’s bedroom leaves a warm feeling in his stomach. Pure happiness. And as soon as Charles’ scent hits his nose his eyes start to tear up, his emotions overwhelm him, and his alpha side is somewhat disgusted by the sudden outburst but he doesn’t care, hugging the Ferrari driver tightly as soon as he climbs on the bed. The younger one chuckles and nuzzles his neck.

“Thank god, you’re finally back.”

The other ones slowly arrive too, and Michael is soon surrounded by his pack mates, every single one of them scenting him until his own scent has nearly disappeared. Dan grumbles appreciatively as his personal trainer bares his throat for him, gently brushing his nose over his neck.

“Good to have you here again,” he mumbles into his ear, purring deeply as Michael presses a kiss onto his cheek.

It is no surprise that people have confused Michael for being a beta, his soft and kind nature not fitting to his secondary gender, and people have often compared him to a lion playing with a kitten when he has been around omegas. He has grown up in a liberal family where the secondary gender doesn’t matter, and he has found a certain kind of happiness in taking the second place in their pack, being in charge when Dan isn’t around but submitting to him whenever he is.

Lando looks at them from his place next to George and smiles shyly. Michael only needs to lift an arm and Lando is cuddled into his side in a matter of seconds, plastering himself all over him.

“Are you happy, pup?”

“Yes, really happy.”

The alpha smiles, nudging him to turn his head so he can rest his nose against his neck, inhaling his scent. He hears someone yawn, probably Charles or Alex, and he notices how Lando has already closed his eyes, on his way into Morpheus’ arms. Before long, he follows Lando, feeling safe between his pack members, finally spending a night with all of them together.

Growing closer with Lando has its perks, it means cuddles throughout the day, another bubbly and happy soul next to Dan to keep your mood up. It means having an omega to cuddle and scent when you’re not feeling well (he could do that with Charles and Max too, but while Max smells too much like Dan, Charles is mostly not available because of Ferrari and he isn’t that big of a cuddler with alphas. Oh, and there is George, but George always smells like Mercedes), a gentle soul who makes sure you’re fine. But getting closer with Lando also means that the little bastard becomes more cheeky, and your authority is quickly undermined.

“Muuuum! Charles insulted me!”

“Get a grip, Lando, I called you a muppet.”

“A stupid muppet!”

“Boys,” Michael sighs and looks up from his book, rubbing over his face with one hand. “Charles, apologize. Lando, stop calling me mum.”

“But you are the pack mum. And Dan’s the dad!”

Max looks like he wants to say something, but he just looks at Lando and Charles and decides to keep quiet, apparently not wanting any of them to call him the pack mother next. Lucky him.

Lando gets up from the bed and walks over to the couch where Michael’s currently sitting, flopping down onto it with a thud, before placing his head in the Aussie’s lap. The alpha’s hand is in his hair immediately, racking through the curls, his eyes focused on Charles, who has resorted to cuddling with Alex, the Thai smiling gently at the omega.

“Michael?”, Lando’s voice brings him back to the omega in his lap, and he’s smiling when he looks down.

“Yes?”

“You’re the best mum.”

Michael groans and thinks about suffocating the younger one with one of the pillows (he would never, Dan would use the pillow to kill him too).

“Thin ice, Norris,” he warns instead, voice low but not even near his alpha voice. Still, Lando seems to tense, and his scent shifts, but it’s not distress that he can smell, it’s something different, something more intense, something-  _ oh _ .

Lando blushes and swallows hard, and he makes a move to scurry away, but Michael’s arm keeps him in place, his hand continuing to brush through his hair. They settle on ignoring what has happened as the others in the room don’t seem to have noticed either, but it has left an odd gut feeling, something the alpha can’t quite place. The only thing he knows is that he wants Lando to smell like that again.

The thing is that life’s not always easy. Especially if one of the pack’s omegas turns out to have an alpha mate while another omega is scared of other alphas. So when George and Lewis’ relationship becomes known to the pack, Dan and Michael are immediately concerned about Lando’s well-being, and the most logical step for Michael is to take a step back from pack life again. Not because of Lando, on the contrary, he has promised himself to keep him safe at any given point, but because he doesn’t want to be a possible danger towards Lewis. Unmated alphas can be pretty possessive towards their chosen mate, and while Lewis isn’t the typical alpha, Michael doesn’t want to be the cause for drama and therefore more stress for Lando. So, he takes a step back, giving up his place to make way for the older alpha, and waits for all of them to settle with the new situation before returning. It’s for the best, they all know that, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t miss him. He’s still part of the pack.

And Michael has noticed that something’s changed about Lando. It concerns him, he knows it’s about Lewis, and he makes sure to shower him in love whenever he’s in the garage, making sure he understands that Michael’s not going anywhere. That nothing about their pack life changes just because George has found his mate. But he can see how the younger one tenses whenever Lewis is around, how distressed he is, how much he fears him even though Lewis is one of the kindest people in the world. Michael knows it’s about George, that Lando fears something similar will happen to him, that Lewis won’t treat him right, even though there is no sign of that.

So when Lando appears in front of Dan’s hotel room after a race, Michael is prepared. Somewhat. If Dan would be there. But he isn’t. The pack alpha is out on a date with Max and is going to spend the night in the omega’s room, leaving Michael to care for a slightly distressed smelling omega.

“Lando, are you alright?”

Lando stumbles into the room and falls face-first onto the bed. Only now Michael smells the hint of alcohol surrounding him, and he sighs as he sits down next to the younger one.

“Did you drink?”

“Maybe…”

“How much?”

“Not enough,” Lando mumbles, rolling himself into a small ball.

Michael pulls him onto his lap, wrapping his arms around him, and he smiles as Lando seems to relax when he inhales the alpha’s scent. They sit in silence, Michael not wanting to force the omega to talk about something he doesn’t want to talk about, but it doesn’t take long for Lando to speak up.

“I’m just… what if Lewis isn’t treating George well…?”

“George would tell us, pup. He knows that we would be there for him, just as we were for you.”

The younger one worries his lip and carefully looks up, swallowing hard.

“Were you mad at me for not telling you about… Carlos…?”

Michael pulls him in tighter, burying his head in Lando’s soft curls. He can smell how distressed he is, how the topic is still messing with his head. The pack has never been mad, they have always made clear that they would protect Lando, but he knows where the fear comes from. He doesn’t want to lose George the same way he had lost his pack before, being pushed away by another alpha.

“Of course we weren’t, Lando. We were… confused and maybe a bit hurt. Especially Max was. But we only wanted to know that you were safe and… we trusted you. You’re an adult. You’re allowed to make decisions for yourself… But we beat us up after it all came out. And Dan… look, he’s the pack alpha, even if he technically-seen wasn’t back then, and he was mad at himself for not protecting his packmate.”

There are tears in Lando’s eyes when he looks up, guilt written all over his features, and he quickly buries his face in the alpha’s chest. His scent changes slightly, but it’s not enough to make Michael notice it, he’s more focused on making Lando smile again, to comfort him. He wraps his arms around his waist and waits for Lando to speak again.

“I’m so so so sorry for not telling you,” he whispers, his hands holding tightly onto the alpha’s shirt, his whole body shaking.

“It’s okay… You couldn’t tell us, there was no way you could’ve told us without Carlos noticing.”

The younger one sniffles.

“I’m such a fucked up loser.”

“Lando, stop.” Michael gently pushes Lando away, lifting his head to look at him properly, his hand cupping his cheek. “You’re not fucked up. You’ve just experienced something terrible. But you’re not alone. You have a whole pack around you who loves you, and some organizations help people who have experienced the same things as you. You’re not alone, and you’ll never be alone.”

The other’s breath hiccups and more tears are running down his cheeks.

“But what pack? Daniel has Max, George has Lewis, and Alex and Charles look like they’re about to jump each other the second Charles is in heat. I’m the fucked up one, I don’t have anyone who cares about me.”

“I care about you, we all do. And look,” he gently brushes away Lando’s tears, “I don’t have a mate either. And do they care? No. Because your time in a pack doesn’t end when you find your mate.”

They look at each other, neither saying a word, and it’s now that Michael notices that something’s off. Lando still looks distressed, but his skin is hot under his fingers, and he smells different. It’s not only distress, it’s something more, something that’s lulling him in, pulling him closer, making him  _ want _ the omega. He stops, pushing Lando from his lap. Bringing a distance between them. From one second to another, Lando seems to notice the change too, because he whimpers, the sound breaking Michael’s heart.

“Michael…”

The room starts to smell like Lando’s slick, Lando’s pheromones, just  _ Lando _ . There is no trace left of either Dan or Max, it’s only Lando and him, and he hates it, hates how much he wants him, hates how his body responds to him.

“I can’t. Dan will kill me.”

“But I need you!”

He presses his eyes shut, swallowing hard as the omega whimpers again, shuffling in the fluffy sheets.

“It’s a stress-induced heat, I just- I can’t. What if something happens?”

“Am on suppressants.”

“And still in heat. I won’t risk it.”

“Dan would…”

Michael’s eyes fly open again. Did he say-

“Max said it’s okay… when Dan helps me through my heats… during the breaks and so on…”

It doesn’t sit right with him for some reason. Of course, Dan is their pack alpha, it’s his responsibility in some way to keep everyone at bay, but it surprises him that Max actually went along with it. On the other hand, Lando is his best friend, so he guesses that it’s alright. It still bothers him that Dan is allowed to touch him, to do things with him, and he’s not. It’s not like he’s forbidden to, but some old instincts in him say that every unclaimed omega is the pack alpha’s omega, and that he needs to ask for permission, and that he’s  _ just not allowed to _ .

He sees Lando pick at the sheets, ruffling them around, and he gets up with a sigh. If Dan won’t kill him for what might happen tonight, he clearly will for what he’s about to do. He walks over to their luggage and pulls out some of Dan’s clothes, before also grabbing some of his own. Lando looks at him with big eyes as he drops the clothing next to the omega onto the bed.

“Nest. You want to, right?”

Without a second glance, Lando is scurrying around the bed, arranging the items over and over again until he’s satisfied. In the end, he puts a pillow in one end and sits down in the middle, tilting his head slightly. He looks lost, as if something’s not right, and he lifts his head to look at Michael.

“No, I can’t come into your nest.”

“But-”

“Lando, I can’t, I- I don’t want to do something I might regret.”

The omega crawls to the end of his nest, the closest he can get to Michael without leaving it, stretching one hand out. He gives him the choice, one last opportunity to say no, but Michael can’t, he physically can’t, his body is screaming for Lando’s and Lando’s body is screaming for his, and he gives up his resistance, indulging in the other’s scent.

He takes his hand and gets up onto the bed, his other arm immediately around Lando’s waist, and his free hand disappears beneath his shirt as he brushes his nose over the other’s neck, carefully scenting him. Lando’s scent is intoxicating, it messes with his brain, makes his instincts act up, but he fights against it, carefully helping Lando to lay down. Their eyes lock, and as their lips touch, something inside him explodes, freeing a thousand butterflies. This isn’t good, this is horrible, but the excited look on Lando’s face when they part is enough to make him forget his guilt and get him to undress the younger one.

It doesn’t take long until both of them are undressed and Lando is squirming beneath him, his slick dirtying the clothes beneath them, and somewhere in his mind Michael knows he has to wash all of them before Dan returns, but right now, the only thing that matters is the omega under him, the omega who  _ wants _ him. He reminds himself just in time to reach over to the nightstand where he knows Dan keeps his condoms - no matter what, he doesn’t want to get Lando pregnant.

Lando lets out a high-pitched moan as Michael slowly pushes inside him, his fingers clawing into his back, leaving angry red marks. He waits, wanting the omega to get used to the sensation. It’s not a secret that Lando has had sex before, that he’s not a virgin (Michael would never have touched him if he had been a virgin, thank you very much), but he also knows that he hasn’t had sex in the last few months, so he doesn’t want to overwhelm him. What he hasn’t expected is for Lando to whimper and press himself against him, putting his legs around his waist to pull him closer.

“Please, I need it hard! Punish me, fuck me,  _ be rough _ , please!” There are tears in his eyes, tears of frustration. “M-Make me forget…”

Michael looks down at the younger ones, and while a part of his alpha brain wants to do exactly that, push him into the sheets and fuck him, make him  _ his _ , he knows that it’s wrong. It’s not what Lando deserves, what he needs. Michael doesn’t want to play into the stereotype of an alpha who takes what he wants, he wants Lando to feel good, to make him come apart, so he settles back, gently moving the omega’s feet from his waist up onto his shoulders. He starts moving in a slow but steady rhythm, one hand on Lando’s hips, the other wandering up and down one leg, and while Lando fights against it in the beginning, continuing to beg for a rougher treatment, he lets him fall after a while, moaning shamelessly while Michael continues his soft movements, the tears running freely down his cheeks. Gently, the alpha brings his hand up, cupping his cheek and wiping away the tears.

It doesn’t take long for them both to get closer to the edge, their pheromones mixing in the stagnant air, and Michael’s hips lose their rhythm, the pace becoming quicker. His eyes become fixed on the conjunction between Lando’s neck and shoulder, and he quickly brings his hand up, covering the spot. The omega’s legs fall from his shoulders and he uses the new position to thrust even quicker, leaning down to nuzzle the other’s neck before a warm wave washes over his body and he sinks his teeth into his own hand as he comes. He feels Lando come too, a warm and wet feeling between their bodies, and he waits for a while before pulling out, his alpha instincts screaming at him for doing the wrong thing. He was supposed to bite him,  _ mark him as his _ , he was supposed to cum inside him, get him pregnant, knot him, but he hasn’t and he feels bad even though it’s the right thing to do. Lando looks completely blissed out, not noticing how Michael gets rid of the condom and gets a cloth to clean both of them. It doesn’t take long for both of them to fall asleep, curled together in a room that reeks of both of them.

The good thing about stress-induced heats is that they don’t last long. In fact, Lando’s heat is over the next morning. Which is good, even perfect, because Michael needs to get the room cleaned from their scents before Dan returns. And he needs to get their clothes cleaned. And, fuck, he just hopes that Dan has changed his mind and drives with Max to the airport.

To his luck, that’s what happens. Dan sends him a short text, saying that they will meet at the airport and that Michael should bring his luggage with him (which Michael doesn’t complain about. He’s not Dan’s packhorse but 1) this isn’t the first time he does that and 2) it gives him time to clean everything). So Michael brings Lando to his room, making sure that no alpha approaches him, before going back, opening the windows, and making a trip to a laundromat close by. He makes sure to nearly drown the clothes in Dan’s aftershave before putting them back, and in the end, he’s convinced he did a decent job. After all, neither Dan nor Max notices anything when he enters the airplane, so he’s safe. For now.

For now is a good statement, because he  _ knows _ he has to tell them, he  _ knows _ that it’s the right thing, the only thing to do, but he also knows that Dan will be angry. Not angry, furious. It’s Lando it’s about, the pup, the youngest one, the one everyone wants to protect. And he? He broke the long-lasting, ever-existent pack rules, he stole the pack alpha’s unclaimed omega, the hurt and broken one, the weakest one. He is in for some trouble, and he fears the outcome. But somehow, he gets around talking about it for a while, as they spend their week off in Monaco and Michael can retreat to his own flat in the evenings. He desperately hopes that they don’t notice anything off about him, but that changes when they invite him for a makeshift pack night with just the three of them a few days into their stay. And it goes reasonably well, he tries to act the same way he always does, cuddled into Dan’s side as they watch a movie, with Max on Dan’s other side. It’s the closeness that does it to him, the feeling of the pack with the feeling of guilt inside his heart, the knowledge that he has hurt his pack, the pack that’s treating him so kind, him the traitor. He chokes up when Dan scents him, his nose brushing along his neck over and over again, and he is quick to push him away, getting off the couch. Confusion is written all over Dan and Max’ faces.

“I- I just need to go to the toilet.”

He quickly walks there, closing the door behind him. When he looks in the mirror, his panicky self looks back at him, and he knows that he must reek of distress by now. He’s fucked. Tossing water onto his face doesn’t help the case either, so he braces himself for the worst when he opens the door again. He’s somewhat expected Dan to stand in the hallway, leaning against the wall while waiting for him, but he’s still caught off-guard. His long-time friend just looks at him with kind eyes, not closing the distance, giving him space to move.

“What’s wrong, Michael?”

“I- I don’t know what you mean…? You invited me for a pack-night?”

“Yeah, but you’ve been acting off the whole evening.” Dan comes slowly closer, moving as if Michael’s a scared animal, the latter swallowing hard. “I’ve invited you to propose to you to come back to the pack. Lewis has settled in and everyone’s taking it well. You deserve to come back.”

Michael can’t handle how kind Dan is, how he’s proposing something he longed for for so long when he’s done something wrong. When he has done something that questions Dan’s power, Dan’s position as the pack alpha. The alpha in front of him seems to want to say something after a while when Michael doesn’t answer, but the personal trainer stops him by speaking up.

“I’ve slept with Lando.”

From one second to the other, Dan’s expression changes. He goes from kind to serious, not even serious, just straight up cold, staring at Michael as if he said he’s killed a guy. There’s a growl coming from him, a deep one, right from the back of his throat. The one everyone, whether you’re an alpha, beta, or omega, knows to fear. An alpha protecting his territory.

“You did what?”

Michael immediately bares his throat, whimpering, and tries to make himself smaller. He doesn’t want to fight Dan, not in his own flat where everything reeks of him. He’s the guest here. He has no rights.

“I-I have had sex with Lando… A few days ago… When you were over at Max’ after the GP.”

“Care to explain why?”

The accusatory tone makes him flinch, but he knows that he has deserved this. It’s all his fault.

“H-He was tipsy and-”

“You took advantage of him?!”

There’s a hand around his throat by now, pressing him against the wall, cutting off his air. Dan is mad, Dan is so mad, and he tries to bare his throat, even more, not struggling against the tight grasp.

“Submitting won’t get you far. Keep. Talking.”

“I didn’t take advantage of him, Daniel, you know me! He- He came to the room, tipsy, and I wanted to take care of him, and then… then he started rambling and talking about his fears and… and.. he went into stress-heat.”

He knows that this makes everything worse, he didn’t only sleep with the unmated omega, he slept with the unmated omega  _ in heat _ , and he knows Dan’s mood by now, growling deep into his ear. Michael looks to the side for just a second, seeing Max standing in the door frame to the living room, looking as if he will kill Michael if Dan doesn’t.

“So you’re telling me that you’ve had sex with  _ my _ omega during his heat? Without asking for  _ my  _ permission? And kept it a secret from me for  _ days _ ?”

He closes his eyes and nods defeatedly. He did just that. He has broken the rules.

“Why?”

“He begged me to! T-Told me you would fuck him and that Max was okay with it!”

Michael looks Dan in the eyes, something he knows infuriates the alpha in the driver, but he can’t stop himself from doing it. Dan looks a bit taken back but only applies more pressure to his neck.

“But there’s a fine difference between you and me, darling. I’m the leader here, not you. You’re following  _ my  _ orders, not his. From now on, you will stay away from him. If I see you talk to him, I’ll let Max do whatever he wants to do to you.”

He takes a step back, letting go of his trainer’s neck, and looks at him.

“Just so you know, you won’t go back to the pack anytime soon. You don’t deserve it. You’ve hurt the pack and you’ve betrayed me, you have no right to see any of them ever again.”

Michael whimpers, staring at his friend with a pained expression.

“Are you banishing me…?”

“Yes.” Dan takes a deep breath, and Michael knows him well enough to know that it’s to ground himself, to try to calm down. “I thought you were my friend, Michael. I thought I could  _ trust _ you. But apparently, I can’t, so I won’t let you close to my pack. You’re still working for me, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

They look at each other in silence, and he doesn’t know if he’s allowed to move. What makes him flinch is when Max moves, turning his head to look at Dan.

“May I?”

Dan just shrugs, turning around and starting to walk back into the living room.

“Do what you want, babe.”

And the next thing Michael knows is that Max’ fist is about to connect to his face. Yep, he definitely deserves that one.

When the next race rolls around, he gives those who ask the Kubica-answer: “I fell down the stairs.” No one needs to know that Max punched him, no one needs to know  _ why _ Max punched him, it’s his problem. The broken nose is his problem.

He sees Lando’s worried glances across the garage, but every time he tries to come just a little bit closer, Dan is at his side, getting between his omega and his personal trainer. Lando’s expression breaks his heart over and over again, but he deserves that. He deserves the broken nose, he deserves having lost Dan’s trust, he deserves not having Lando. Still, he knows he’s his mate, the way that he aches for him, how he longs after him, he knows that Lando belongs to him. But they can’t have this. And he needs to accept that.

It doesn’t help that Lando somehow slides a piece of paper into his pocket, saying “Meet me at 9, in the patio. I know a place”. It also doesn’t help his case when he actually goes, a smile spreading on his face when he sees the omega on one of the benches, smiling slightly. He leads them into a more secluded part of the hotel, a place where Dan probably won’t find them, and they sit down in front of each other for a while, not saying a thing, before Lando scoots over just to sling his arms around the alpha.

“I missed you.”

“I know but… we can’t do this. We can’t see each other.”

“But… But I love you…”, comes the whispered answer, and Michael sighs. 

“You don’t. You  _ shouldn’t _ love me. You’re so young, you’re… It’s not me, Lando.”

Lando looks up to him, tilting his head slightly with a sad smile on his lips.

“We both know you’re lying. But I get it.”

They sit in silence, and while it feels wrong, it also feels right. He is close to the person his heart yearns for, he can hold him in his arms without Dan prying them apart, but he knows that they shouldn’t do this. If Dan and Max find out… He would never be seen again. Books would be published, titled “The mysterious disappearance of Michael Italiano”. And he would never be able to hold Lando in his arms again. The alpha looks down at the other and presses a soft kiss on his forehead.

“I’m sorry I told them… I just had to.”

“Is okay… Would’ve come out anyway…” The omega worries his lips between his teeth. “Was it Max? Your nose?”

“Yep. He’s got a pretty good punch.”

“So you took that one for me?”

He lowers his head, resting his head on Lando’s shoulder, his nose touching his neck. He feels complete, happy, relaxed. It doesn’t feel as if his heart is being torn from his chest. He’s at peace, even though the position he’s in isn’t truly comfortable.

“I would take so much more for you, Lando… You wouldn't believe it.”

The omega runs his hand through the alpha’s hair, cooing adoringly.

“I think I can… I think I really can…”

They do this a few times. Meeting up at night, sitting together, talking about the races, their families and friends, everything underneath the sun. Sometimes sneaking kisses. Often not. It’s never more than smaller make-out-sessions. They get to know each other more and more, and every time they need to part ways, every time he has to wash the omega’s scent off, he hates his life a little bit more. And while they’re meeting up behind the pack’s back, Michael starts gaining Dan’s trust again. The irony. But gaining Dan’s trust means that they can joke around again, that he can spend some nights over in Dan’s room, cuddling with him, but only when Max isn’t around. The other Aussie knows how much his personal trainer needs the safety of other people, knows how lonely he can feel when on his own. So he lets it happen. Trusts him not to do anything stupid again. That doesn’t mean that Max’ grudge is over, the Dutch still doesn’t like to see Michael, but he has accepted that Dan spends more time with him again. And despite every single one of his alpha instincts, there are only a few things that are better than being scented by Dan. No wonder people always thought they would mate at some point.

That's why they're sitting together on Dan's couch, Michael tugged safely beneath the pack alpha's arm, nearly purring as he scents him. He lets his head roll to the side, baring more of his throat to him, and Dan chuckles while brushing his fingers over the other's throat.

"Next thing you demand is belly rubs." 

Michael looks at him, slowly pushing his lower lip forward in a pout, and Dan rolls his eyes with a fond expression, his other hand lifting up his shirt and running over Michael's abs, the other alpha letting out a content sound. Dan leans down, using his free hand to turn Michael's face back, capturing his lips into a lazy kiss. It's somewhat normal for them, Max doesn't like to see it but he accepts it (and it's not like he hasn't admitted that he finds it low-key hot), and Michael pulls him in closer. Playfully, Dan grabs his crotch through his sweats with the hand that has been laying on the other's stomach, feeling the bulge beneath it.

"Horny bastard," he breathes against Michael's lips, and Michael has to hold back a comment involving Lando, only grinning at Dan. 

"Says the one who proposed having sex back when we were teenagers."

"What can I say, I was a horny bastard back then"

Michael laughs, punching his arm.

"Mate, you still are."

Dan starts laughing too but proceeds with pushing the other alpha into the cushion, hovering above him.

"Say that again, darling." 

* * *

_ "Atta boy, that's it... You're doing so well..." _

_ Dan's behind him, holding his waist as he slowly pushes inside him, his forehead coming to rest on his shoulder. He's shaking, both of them are, and when Dan pulls out just to thrust back in again, Michael can't hold back his moan. It's not "normal" for an alpha to bottom, it's looked upon by society, but he doesn’t care, not if it feels this good. Maybe his biology should've been something different, maybe he should've been an omega or beta, but he's not, and still, being claimed, being owned by Dan in this way feels sinfully good. His head drops forward and his hands hold onto the headboard, digging into the dark wood. His knees hurt, the position strains his thighs, but he doesn’t complain when Dan pulls him even further up, up against his chest, a low growl coming from him. _

_ "There you go, darling," he groans, nails digging into his waist. "What a perfect fit." _

_ Michael mewls as the other alpha's lips connect to his neck while he picks up his pace. The sudden need of being bit, of feeling Dan's teeth in his skin is there but he pushes it away, it's not the way it's supposed to be. There are beautiful betas and omegas waiting for them, they're not mates. But that doesn’t matter, what matters is that Dan's hitting this special point inside of him over and over again, making him see stars. Warmth is spreading through his body, puddling in his stomach, and he knows that feeling, knows that it's over soon, but he's not the only one noticing that. _

_ "Coming soon, huh? Like that so much? What a little whore you are." One of Dan's hands is in his hair, pulling on it, forcing his head back and to the side, baring his throat to the maximum. "Let's see if I can make you come without touching you, darling." _

_ He picks up the pace even more, slamming home over and over, his teeth raking over his shoulder and neck, but never touching the conjunction, which frustrates Michael even more. Still, it doesn't take long until he's coming, spilling over the sheets beneath them. He hears Dan growl possessively, sending a shiver down his spine, and the hand which was buried in his hair comes up to his mouth, two fingers probing against his lips. Michael listens, opening his mouth to let them inside, and he can feel Dan smile against his shoulder. _

_ "You don't know how much I want to knot you, sweetie, keep you tied to me for the whole night. Sadly, that won't be the case." His hips stutter and Michael knows what that means, urging him on to suck on the fingers a bit more. "I can fill you up, though." _

_ Dan groans, and instead of biting into his neck, he leans further down, sinking his teeth into his back where he knows nothing will happen. He stops moving and Michael closes his eyes, enjoying the sensation of being filled up, and they stay still for a while before Dan lowers them down, not even thinking about pulling out. _

_ "Another round, another time I'm happy I can't knock you up." _

_ Dan grins wide, pulling him against his chest. Michael only rolls his eyes and yawns, content with their position, ignoring how odd it feels to have Dan remain inside him. What feels even odder is when he starts to move again, kissing his neck. _

_ "Daaan..." _

_ "Please? I'll clean you up really well afterwards, too." _

_ Michael bites his lower lip and pushes him onto his back, whining as Dan slips out, only to sit down in his lap. Who could say no to being eaten out by Daniel fucking Ricciardo? _

* * *

Michael takes a deep breath and cuddles back against Dan, who's playing with a few strands of his hair while using his phone with his other hand.

"Max says he wants to be included next time or he'll break the bond."

"He won't, he's just jealous." He lifts his gaze, using one of his fingers to draw small patterns on Dan's chest. "Do you think it's fate that Max is your mate?"

The pack alpha looks down, his hand stopping for a second.

"To be honest, I thought it was you for the longest time. Not like... I wasn't in love with you. It just felt... So relaxed. We're completing each other, you know that." There's a smile on his lips as he continues, accompanied by a soft look in his eyes. "But Max... It's different when you meet your mate. Every second you're away from them... Your heart feels as if it's torn apart. You want to be with them all the time, and you never want to leave them behind until you've marked them. It becomes easier afterwards."

"Mh..."

Michael doesn't say more, doesn't trust his feelings to stay inside him. He desperately wants to comment on Lando again, but he holds it back. Again. Dan doesn't need to know that that's exactly how he feels about Lando.

He doesn’t know how, but he manages to reach the end of the season without getting killed by either Max and Dan and to be honest, he is pretty fucking proud of that. Especially since he hasn’t stopped seeing Lando, and yeah, they have become slightly careless when it comes to hiding their scents but hey, they’re working together. It’s not that uncommon to smell like teammates… right? Anyway, he’s happy that the season is over, and to be honest, he’s glad that he can accompany Dan and Max to the end-of-season gala. What’s better than getting drunk while technically being at work?

In the end, he isn’t fully drunk on alcohol but clearly on emotions and Lando’s scent. They’re dancing in the middle of the dancefloor, happy couples all around them, perfectly hidden from Dan and Max’ prying eyes. Michael smiles at the younger man in his arms, the sweet omega scent that’s surrounding him making him feel relaxed. He’s proud too, proud because Lando got third overall, a huge accomplishment for the whole team, and Michael can feel him radiate happiness in his arms.

“I’m so proud of you, you know that, right?”, he whispers, pulling him even closer to his chest, rumbling deep in his chest.

Lando opens his mouth, wanting to answer him, but there’s a presence hovering around them, and the second Michael recognizes the scent, he pulls Lando away from the dancefloor. They stumble towards a door that leads to an empty hallway, and they end up leaning against one of the walls, breathing quickly. From the look in Lando’s eyes he can see that he smelled it too, the musky and dark scent, a scent neither wanted to smell at that moment.

“That was… tight.”

“Oh, was it?”

They both turn their head towards the door, and Michael swallows hard as he sees Dan standing there, Max hovering behind him, ready to kill probably both of them. Michael immediately gets in front of Lando, baring his teeth. That seems to trigger Dan’s alpha instincts as he does the same, keeping Max behind him, which the omega struggles against, wanting to fight too.

“What is this, Michael?”

Dan’s voice is deep, bordering to his alpha voice, and both Max and Lando tense, freezing in their positions. Michael looks at his boss and long-time friend and huffs.

“What do you think, Daniel? Spending time with  _ my _ omega.”

“He’s never been your omega and he’ll never be.”

“Stop trying to deny us happiness.”

“Get away from him.”

“No.”

They stare at each other, and Michael knows what will follow next before it even happens, it’s typical alpha behavior. The negative thing is just that he can feel his legs start to become shaky just from the thought of Dan using his alpha voice.

“ _ Now. _ ”

And that’s when Michael sinks onto his knees, tilting his head to bare his throat. Submitting to another alpha without a fight. Sometimes he asks himself if he was truly meant to be an alpha. He can hear Max laugh shortly behind Dan, and he knows that he isn’t looking at him but at Lando.

“And you want that as an alpha? Someone who submits that easily?”

He expects so much of Lando: Walk back to Dan, forget about him, settle with his role as the forever-single omega in Dan’s pack, not even giving Michael a chance to redeem himself, never talking to him ever again. All that crosses his mind, but what happens is something different, something he never expected - Lando unfreezes and walks towards Max and Dan, but instead of coming to a halt next to them, he stops right in front of Michael, hiding him from the other two. His omega is protecting him. The omega  _ he is supposed to protect _ gets in between him and another alpha. His omega wants to keep him. And all of that after Dan used his alpha voice. A proud rumble wants to make its way out of his chest but he manages to keep it down. No need to make Dan even angrier.

“What are you doing, Lando?”

“The right thing.”

“Come here now! This is not a fucking game!”

“I know. It isn’t for me either. I want this. I want Michael.”

“You don’t know what you want!”, Max chimes in, wanting to step closer, but Dan keeps him from it, his gaze not tearing away from the omega in front of him.

“ _ Lando, heel _ .”

There it is again, Dan’s alpha voice, and if he’s honest, Michael is a bit shocked. Never in his life has Dan used his alpha voice that often, never before has he used it towards  _ Lando _ , the omega he swore to protect a long time ago. And Lando? He shivers, and Michael can see how his knees want to give in, but he keeps it together, fights against all his instincts, and  _ god _ , Michael couldn’t be more in love with him.

“I’m not your fucking dog, Daniel.”

“Man, what are you doing-”

The door behind Dan and Max opens and Lewis stumbles inside, staring at the scene in front of him. He seems to be able to put one and one together fairly quickly, running a hand over his face before getting in between Dan and Lando, standing eye to eye with the pack alpha, who growls deeply at him. Lewis only rolls his eyes, slowly maneuvering them towards the door.

“I might not know what exactly happened, but you should talk about it when you’re sober tomorrow morning.”

“Lewis-”

“Don’t even dare argue with me. You need to calm down.”

Lewis gently guides the other two out of the hallway, leaving Michael and Lando alone, and when Lando turns around, the alpha can see how tired the omega suddenly looks. He’s on his knees in a matter of seconds, fetching him into his arms.

“I am so proud of you. So, so, so proud.”

“Can we just go home? I don’t want to be here anymore…”

“Of course. You can go outside already if you want, I’m… I’m just going to fetch our jackets.”

Lando nods and makes his way out of the hallway and straight through the main area. Michael stays back, taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves before following him slowly. He tries to stay clear of any other people, walking over to their table to grab their jackets before following his younger mate out of the venue. He just wants to go home, spend the rest of the evening cuddling with Lando, and ignore the world around them. Ignore the fact that Max and Dan are probably going to kill him the next day. Not that it matters to him at this point, the only person that matters to him is the person waiting for him on the outside. Or is supposed to be waiting for him, if he’s not about to rip the throat out of an alpha. He couldn’t be more proud of him.

“Let me be, Carlos. I’m not in the mood for talking.”

“You’ve never been in the mood when you’ve been with me.”

“I’ve never been with you truly. You were just being an asshole.”

Michael leans against the wall, watching the scenery. He’s never been someone to tell no to a fight between his strong omega and an alpha, and after today, he fully well knows that Lando is capable of handling the situation. He’ll just stand here to be able to do something if something goes wro-

“My friend, I’ve never been an asshole.”

And that’s the point where everything in Michael breaks. When Carlos takes a step closer and presses Lando against the railing, something in him breaks the alpha free, especially when one hand comes up to cup his cheek. Another alpha is touching his omega.  _ His _ mate. No one is allowed to touch his mate.

He doesn’t even notice that he’s growling when he gets in between them, shoving Carlos away and getting in between them. The second there’s a smug grin on Carlos’ face, he wants to punch his pretty perfect teeth out with his right hand.

“Get the fuck away from my mate.”

“Oh, so you’re fucking that little cunt now?”

He can’t stop himself from connecting his hand to the other’s face. If he’s honest, he doesn’t even want to stop himself. This is about protecting what belongs to  _ him _ , especially after Lando protected him earlier. This is about hurting the person who hurt his mate before, before he could do anything about it. This is about pushing him back over the lines he has straight up crossed without even thinking about it. It’s just showing him the boundaries and the consequences of his actions. Which is a pretty strong punch in the face.

He expects Carlos to lunge right back at him, so he’s prepared to see a fist coming his way, but he’s way too experienced in fighting (he’s training Daniel Ricciardo, for fucks sake) to not be able to dodge it. But before he can land another punch, someone pulls Carlos away, shoving him towards the stairs.

“I would go if I was you. He’s going to kill you otherwise, and if he won’t, we will.”

Carlos scrambles at that, not into the idea of fighting two alphas and an omega for another omega, and he stumbles down the stairs towards his car. Michael turns around to Lando immediately, pulling him into a strong hug. He’s shivering, Michael doesn’t know if it’s because of the cold or because of the shock, but he does the only thing he kind of knows will calm him down and that’s rumbling at him while gently scenting the other alpha’s scent away. He surprises himself by not growling at them when Max and Dan approach them, only bringing his body even more in between them and Lando.

“Sh… Hey. You… You did great.”

Neither of them smells as much of alcohol as they’ve done before, Dan sounds… refreshed. Sober. Michael turns to them slowly, not really wanting to let Lando go, and offers them a slight smile.

“Thanks. Did what I had to do.”

Dan and Max share a glance, something Michael can’t really decipher, before taking one step closer and pulling both of them into a tight hug. Lando immediately starts cooing and tries to get in contact with all of them, while Michael hesitantly noses Dan’s jaw. A deep rumble comes from the pack alpha, who rests his forehead against Michael’s, smiling happily.

“I think it’s about time to invite you back. How does that sound?”

“Fucking perfect.”

**Author's Note:**

> \- this is pure fiction; no characters belong to me; tumblr is kevinmaunussen -


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